


The Universe & Other Scams

by scrubclub



Series: AryaxGendry Week 2018 [3]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Sansa Knows Some Things, Sister-Sister Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-24
Updated: 2018-07-24
Packaged: 2019-06-15 15:51:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,289
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15416376
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scrubclub/pseuds/scrubclub
Summary: Written for AryaxGendry Week Day 3: "It's A Sign"Sansa is sure that Arya and Gendry are meant to be together, and has all of the proof from the universe to back her claims up. Arya thinks that her sister and the universe are full of it.





	The Universe & Other Scams

From her bedroom window, Sansa Stark had a perfect view of the carefully maintained front garden, the calm suburban street that she had grown up on, and, today, the tall boy who had walked her sister home from school. He looked almost twice as tall as Arya and was pushing a rusty-looking bicycle. When they reached the front gate, Sansa saw his eyebrows shoot up upon seeing the house and she smiled to herself as Arya nervously concentrated on her worn-out sneakers. They spoke for a few more minutes before parting ways and Sansa skipped down the stairs to greet her little sister. 

“Who was that?” 

Arya ignored her, hanging her sweater up and heading towards the kitchen. 

“You can answer me now or I can bring it up during dinner,” Sansa said, pleased to see her sister freeze as she opened the fridge, “I’m sure mum and dad would be very interested in the boy who walked you home from school.” Arya turned to glare at her. 

“I barely even know him. He’s new at school and was also at football tryouts and he didn’t even mean to walk me home. We were just talking.” She said this without a trace of a blush or excitement. There were times that Sansa was jealous of how nonchalant her sister could be about boys.

“He’s cute,” Sansa raised an eyebrow and smiled. Arya grabbed the orange juice and shrugged. 

“He’s stupid. He thinks I should be dropped back to midfield,” She shook her head as she poured, “based on one tryout he thinks I should stop playing striker.” Sansa nodded, pretending she had any idea which position Arya was best suited to. As Arya downed her juice Sansa seized her opportunity. 

“Remember this morning at breakfast when I read you your horoscope?” Arya frowned as she wiped her top lip. Sansa sighed. 

“It said you were going to meet someone important! Hold on,” She reached for the paper, still open on the counter, and read. “ _Today is a transitional day, one that will bring change to how you understand yourself. Embracing change can allow for personal growth. A new acquaintance will turn into a lifelong connection. Romance could be in the air!_ ” Arya blinked at her sister.

“I cannot believe you believe that shit.”

“I’m not saying it’s one hundred percent accurate! I’m just saying that it might be a sign!”

 

Arya did get moved to midfield and started all but two matches for the school team. She was named to the district’s all-star team and, despite the fact that she was only a sophomore, attracted the attention of more than one university scout. Her new best friend, Gendry, was the first teammate she hugged when the school won the county championship. 

\---

“What reality show would you and your man thrive on? _Survivor_ , _Bake Off_ , or _Love Island_?” 

“ _Survivor_ ,” Arya replied without hesitation, “Can you imagine me on Bake Off? I’d burn the studio down.” Sansa laughed at her sister and smoothed the Cosmopolitan she was reading from onto her towel. The girls were on a Dornish beach, relaxing on the last day of their family vacation. 

“Alright,” Sansa said after a moment, “I’ve added up your score. Are you ready to hear about the type of man you’re destined to be with?”

“Hit me,” Arya said, distractedly picking up sand and letting it sift through her fingers. Sansa read.

“You got: _Your Best Friend. Your type is someone stable and easy going, who isn’t afraid to stand up to you. Your relationship isn’t one based on immediate attraction and undeniable passion, but rather a bond built over a long period of trust and affection - but that doesn’t mean it won’t be sexy when two hook up! This guy shares your sense of humour and never fails to cheer you up after a bad day - and definitely knows what makes you tick_.” She looked over at Arya, who was still playing with the sand, her eyebrows now furrowed. “Sound like anyone?” Sansa asked. 

Arya knit her brows further. “No,” she said, and Sansa couldn’t tell if her sister was feigning ignorance or was truly blind about this stuff. 

“Your best friend… stable, easy going, makes you laugh, doesn’t take your shit…. No one?” 

It finally clicked for Arya and she groaned, rolling onto her side to face her sister properly. “Gendry and I are _friends_ , Sansa. Just normal friends. Not Cosmo’s idea of friends.” 

“It describes you two perfectly, though. I don’t believe in coincidences - this means something,” Sansa said with conviction. Arya decided she wanted to go back into the water. 

 

When she returned to school, Arya was horrified to see that Gendry’s summer spent working in the garage and training for football had left him with muscles even more impressive than before. She spent the whole year trying to ignore them. 

\---

Sansa wasn’t sure how she would have handled her prom date cancelling on her just hours before the event, but she was fairly sure that her reaction would not have included video games and a bag of crisps. Arya sat comfortably between her older brothers, still in her navy gown, her hair falling out of the updo Sansa had spent the majority of her afternoon perfecting. 

She sighed as she sat on the arm of the chair. Her sister looked wonderful, more elegant than Sansa had ever seen her, and it was a waste for the dress to only be seen by their living room. “Mum and I just think -” 

“That I should go anyway since I’m all dressed up?” Arya finished for her, exasperated. 

“Well, yes. You look amazing! Ned’s sudden illness shouldn’t prevent you from having a good night.” 

“It’s not! If anything, Ned’s sudden illness has improved my night! Gendry got an early train so he’ll be here any minute now. We’re going to do a team battle.” She nodded towards the game that she and Jon and Robb were playing. On any other night, Sansa might have joined them, but there were more pressing matters at hand. Arya had given her an idea.

“Why doesn’t Gendry take you?” Before Arya could sputter out an answer, her mother appeared in the doorway.

“Oh that’s a lovely idea!” Catelyn was beaming. 

“It’s a stupid idea,” Arya said, “Gendry skipped his own prom, why would he want to go to mine?” 

“Because he’s your friend,” Sansa said simply, restraining herself from listing all of the evidence supporting her theory that Gendry would do just about anything for Arya. 

“Guys,” Arya said, appealing to her brothers, “back me up here.” They both shrugged. 

“I mean, the dress and the shoes and the tickets did cost you a lot of money,” Robb offered, earning himself a sharp glare from Arya.

“It might be fun!” Jon said, “I was dreading my prom and it ended up being awesome.” Arya rolled her eyes. 

“You three have been back from uni for, like, two days, and you’re all already getting on my nerves,” she sounded more resigned than angry, which Sansa knew was a good sign. She might be able to make this happen. 

“The suit!” Arya said suddenly, “Gendry doesn’t have a suit! We’ll have to stay home, he can’t go to prom in -”

“He can borrow one of mine,” came her father’s voice from the kitchen. She frowned, stuck. The ring of the doorbell brought everyone to their feet. Jon and Robb were leading Gendry up the stairs before he even had a chance to greet them.

“Guys, what’re we doing?” he asked, looking around for Arya. 

“You’re taking Arya to prom,” Robb said simply. 

“That Dayne kid cancelled on her, and we’re not letting her waste her tickets,” Jon explained. The trio disappeared into Ned and Catelyn’s room. 

Downstairs in the foyer, Sansa was re-pinning parts of Arya’s hair. Arya looked disappointed that her evening of video games and junk food was being put on hold for a stupid dance. 

“You’ll have fun,” Sansa insisted, stepping back to get a better look at her sister. 

“I know,” Arya shrugged, “it’s Gendry. I just really don’t think this was necessary. It’s only prom.” 

“It would be a waste to miss your big night because some guy can’t go. Prom is a big deal!” She smiled at her sister’s apprehensive face, “Plus, it’s sort of perfect. Gendry arrives home from college just hours after your date bails - it’s a sign! You guys were meant to go to prom together.” 

Arya didn’t have time to roll her eyes at her sister because Gendry had appeared at the top of the stairs in one of her father’s suits. They took each other’s breath away, though neither of them would ever admit it. Sansa couldn’t keep herself from beaming. 

 

Arya still thought that prom is kind of stupid, but decided that dancing wasn’t so bad when she got to look down and laugh at Gendry’s two left feet. 

\---

“That’s a booking,” Arya and Gendry said at exactly the same time in exactly the same tone. Sansa stared between them. She was visiting her sister in King’s Landing, where Arya was studying. Gendry, a common fixture in Arya’s flat, was over to watch a football game. Sansa had been sure that living in the same city as young adults - away from the watchful eye of the elder Stark brothers - would have led to Arya and Gendry finally getting on with it and hooking up. She had been wrong. 

They seemed spent most of their free time together, ordering take out, yelling at the television, and falling asleep on each other’s couches. It was becoming painful to watch them - the full conversations they had using only their eyebrows, Gendry’s soft smile when Arya fell asleep on his shoulder, Arya’s feigned indifference anytime Gendry’s pretty coworker texted him. And then there was the football commentary. When they weren’t loudly arguing about set pieces and defensive formations, they were uttering synchronized phrases at the screen.

“He’ll put it wide.”

“Look left!” 

“Terrible throw.”

When Gendry got up to get another beer, Sansa turned to her sister. “You two are pretty in sync,” she stated. 

Arya shrugged, not looking away from the screen. 

“It’s cute. Like you’re on the same wavelength,” she could see Arya squirm slightly, “I took a psychology class that talked about how couples who have been together long enough start to mimic each other and can almost develop a telepathic connection.” Gendry didn’t give Arya a chance to respond. 

“Arya,” he called from the kitchen, “Where’s the -”

“Above the fridge!” She responded automatically, and Sansa grinned. Arya refused to look at her. 

“Telepathic connection,” Sansa said simply, “I’m just saying.” She wasn’t just saying. 

 

The Friday after Sansa left, Gendry showed up at Arya’s flat unprompted with Thai food and three terrible action movies, knowing that she had just struggled through two tests and a group presentation that had been stressing her out for weeks. Her bad day was forgotten about halfway through the first car chase. As Gendry began to doze off beside her, she thought about Sansa’s wavelength comment, and then about a Cosmo magazine quiz on a hot Dornish beach years before. There was the slightest chance her sister was onto something.

\---

The Starks annual holiday party was Sansa’s favourite event of the year. She had helped with the decorations and was deeply pleased with how much of a winter wonderland her home had become. There was tinsel on the bannisters, an ice sculpture in the foyer, and -

“Why is there so much mistletoe?” Arya appeared at Sansa’s side, pink-cheeked and stressed. “Gendry’s pointed it out just in time a few times now, but it’s _everywhere_ , Sansa. It’s excessive.” 

“Gendry’s pointing it out?” Sansa asked curiously.

“Yes, to make sure we avoid it,” Arya explained, “But honestly it’s like you’re trying to push people into awkward situations.” Sansa shrugged. 

“Maybe some people could use an awkward situation or two.” Arya frowned at her, and Sansa was reminded of a skinny, stubborn teenage Arya wiping orange juice from her mouth. 

“I thought you believed in destiny,” Arya said, a slight edge to her voice, “isn’t interfering with the universe against the rules?”

“Arya,” Sansa sighed, “your super hot best friend who adores you enough to wear a suit and mingle with dozens of people that he can’t stand is pointing out mistletoe to you, and your response is to leave him to come complain to me about it, even though it’s pretty obvious that based on your inability to stop blushing that you wouldn’t be opposed to taking advantage of some mistletoe with him,” She paused to catch her breath before continuing. “I’m not the one interfering with the universe’s plan.” Arya blinked at her. 

“I - he’s not - ” Sansa looked across the room and spotted Gendry looking miserably stuck in conversation with two ladies from Catelyn’s book club. Arya followed her gaze and swallowed as he caught her eye and raised an eyebrow playfully. 

“Take this as a sign from the universe. Go save him,” Sansa said kindly. “There’s some mistletoe by the pantry at the back of the kitchen if you want some privacy,” she added with a sly smile, pushing her sister forward. 

 

Sansa didn’t see either of them for the next half hour and when she did, she noticed that Gendry was grinning even when the book club ladies briefly flagged him down again, his hair messier than it had been. She smiled as Arya’s hand linked with Gendry’s comfortably, drawing him to the dancefloor. She watched as her sister spent the whole dance making fun of her best friend’s poor footwork, her eyes never leaving his. Small signs.


End file.
